THE "GENERAL CONSIGNEE" 231 



renders a bill of sale, deducting the various items of ex- 

 pense, such as commission of 10 per cent., freight charges 

 on package basis, cartage, etc., and remits direct to the 

 shipper by cheque or express order. The general con- 

 signee, in collecting from the commission men the amount 

 due in respect to the railroad charges already paid by 

 him, and, also, for his own services, makes a small addi- 

 tional charge on behalf of the association, to enable it to 

 meet cost of management, etc. Supposing, for instance, 

 that the railroad freight comes to $40 per car, and that 

 the charge for his own services is 84 per car, making 

 a total of 844, he collects an amount which "ill ag- 

 gregate 850 per car, remitting $6 to the central organ- 

 ization. 



The advantages of this system are (1) that the farmer 

 is relieved of much trouble in shipping his consignments ; 

 is able to gain the full advantage of car-load rates ; is 

 sure of his goods being properly looked after on arrival at 

 destination : is certain of honest returns ; and is led by 

 all these considerations to increase his crop from year to 

 year; (2) the railroad company gets more freight to handle; 

 it is saved the expense of loading and unloading; and it 

 effects an economy in dealing with one or two persons in- 

 stead of many in regard to the collection of freight charges 

 and other matters of detail. 



From this association at Cobden have sprung a number 

 of others; and as an indication of the magnitude of the 

 car-load business done bv them I may mention that the 

 average number of cars per annum dealt with by five of 

 these organizations works out as follows : Cobden, TOO ; 

 Anna. 500; MaKanda, 860; Villa Ridge, 800; Balcom, 

 100. The extent of the business done is still more 

 clearly shown bv the following table, which gives the 

 quantities of fruit and vegetables forwarded from Southern 

 Illinois (Villa Ridge to Carbondale inclusive) during the 



